NASA Contest Will Pay Participants Generously To Discover A Way To Turn CO2 Into Other Molecules On Mars

NASA wants help converting carbon dioxide into various other products and they're willing to pay big bucks for it. In fact, the space agency has created a competition which will see successful participants pocket $750,000.00.

The American entity recently announced the CO2 Conversion Challenge; and it should really be worth your while if you're a scientist, inventor or even a regular joe with excellent knowledge of chemistry.

Given that carbon dioxide is widely available on Mars, and NASA has been looking to launch a human mission to the Red Planet forever, it would be great if they could find a way to convert CO2 into something useful.

The changing of carbon dioxide to sugar is the project's main aim, but they seem like they're also keen on variety.

"Help us discover ways to develop novel synthesis technologies that use carbon dioxide (CO2) as the sole carbon source to generate molecules that can be used to manufacture a variety of products, including "substrates" for use in microbial bioreactors," their announcement reads.

"Because CO2 is readily abundant within the Martian atmosphere, such technologies will translate into in-situ manufacturing of products to enable humans to live and thrive on the planet, and also be implemented on Earth by using both waste and atmospheric CO2 as a resource.

"Individuals, teams, and organizations that meet eligibility criteria are welcome to apply. Ideas should focus on advancing the capabilities of physicochemical systems to convert CO2 into glucose."

Teams or individuals who meet certain requirements are free to apply, with the deadline for registration set for January 24, 2019. But the deadline for official application extends to February 28, 2019.

via nasa.gov

Submitted plans will be reviewed by experts and teams/persons with the top five submissions will be considered finalists and will also be handed $50,000.00 each. While details on the following phases are sketchy, NASA says they're prepared to hand the winner(s) of the competition up to three-quarter of a million dollars.

So if you believe you're able to propose a functional system for converting carbon dioxide into sugar or other foods that could keep astronauts on Mars living and breathing, this could be a life-changing opportunity for you.